Car-door operating and locking device.



H. PITTS.

CAR-DOOR OPERATING AND LOO-KING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11' I913. 1,189,904=. Patented May 18,1915.

3. SHEETS-SHEET I.

HOOD PITIS 6042M azH MZW WASHINGTON, u c

H. PITTS.

CAR DOOR OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, I913. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented May 18,

- JI I" THE wanna; PETERS cm, wnsmuzrou, n. c.

H- PITTS.

CAR DOOR OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE,

APPLICATION mzo JAN. 1|. ma.

1, 1 39,904. Patented May is, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

anwwto'a HOOD PITTS THE mmms Fs'r zks cm, wasunwrou. v.

llhllTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOOD PITTS, OF. AUSTIN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB, OF ONE-HALF 'IO FRANK M. COVERT, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

CAR-DOOR OPERATING AND LOCKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed January 11, 1913. Serial No. 741,603.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, H001) PrrTs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Impro ements in Car-Door Operating and Looking Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

his invention relates to an improved door or gate operating and locking device for street cars or other public service vehicles and more particularly to an improved electrically controlled door operating mechanism, the primary object of the invention residing in the provision of improved means for automatically closing and locking the doors before the starting of the car in the event that the conductor fails to close the doors.

rrnother object of the invention is to produce a device which will automatically lock the doors in either the opened or closed position.

Another object is to provide an automatic bral-te to govern the movement of the doors and prevent slamming thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to generally improve and simplify apparatus of the above character whereby liability of accident and injury to persons boarding the vehicle or descending while the same is in motion is eliminated, and to further produce a device for the above purposes which is eilicient and reliable in operation and may installed in public service vehicles of the several types now in common use without requiring alterations in their construction.

These and further objects will more fully appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings, considered together or separately.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a street railway car illustrating one application of mi invention thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the car doors illustrating the means of mounting and actuating the same with the reversing switch omitted; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reversing switch; Fig. 3 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating the operating circuit; Fig. e is an enlarged section taken on the progresses that the same is applicable as well to that type of street railway car or other public service vehicle having a single central door, or provided with a door or doors at each of its ends. It will ofcourse also be apparent that where the doublecentral doors are provided, the invention can-be employed to open and close one or both of the door sections, as may be desired.

5 indicates a car which is electrically driven in the usual manner and is provided at each end with a motormans controller 6 or 6. This car is provided centrally upon each side with the doors 7 which are mounted to move longitudinally of the car in opposite directions. Secured above the movable doors in any preferred manner, are the par allel longitudinally extending track rails 8 which are connected and braced by means of the vertical bars 9. These bracing bars are provided with suitable hearings in which a longitudinal shaft 10 is journaled. This shaft is provided in its periphery and upon opposite sides of its central portion with the oppositely extending spiral grooves 11, the purpose of which will be fully pointed out in the following description. Tothe upper ends of the doors 7 and adjacent the opposite vertical edges thereof, the lower ends of the hanger brackets 12 are secured. Upon these brackets, the peripherally grooved track wheels or rollers 13 are mounted to travel upon the opposededges of the parallel longitudinal bars 8.

The hanger brackets 12 adjacent the inner vertical edges of the doors are provided with sleeves 14, in which radially movable pins 15 are mounted. These pins extend through casings 16 provided upon the sleeves 14, and upon said pins within the casings 16, coil springs 17 are arranged. These springsnormally act to force the pins 15 downwardly and hold the same in engage" ment with the spiral grooves 11 of the shaft 10. The ends of the grooves 11 have their base walls gradually merged into the periphery of the shaft as indicated at 11, Fig. 6, so that when the doors reach the extremes of their movement in either direction, the pins 15 will ride out of said grooves, and liability of breakage of the pins or other parts of the mechanism if the shaft should continue to rotate, is thus obviated.

A worm gear 18 is rigidly secured to the center of the shaft 10 and is engaged by a V worm 19 provided upon the outer end of the shaft 21 of a motor 20. It will be obvious that in the operation of the motor, the shaft 10 is rotated and through the medium of the pins 15 engaging in the oppositely extending spiral grooves 11 of said shaft, the car doors will be moved 1n opposite directions to their open or closed position, as the case may be; 7

In order to provlde an efficient check for the shaft 10 and prevent slammmg or banging of the car doors, I provide a brake shoe 22 which is adapted for engagement with the periphery of the brake drum 23 fixed upon the motor shaft 21. This brake shoe is faced with leather or any preferred friction inducing material. The shoe 22 is carried upon the lower end of the core 24 of a solenoid 25. This solenoid is mounted and supported in any preferred manner and upon one end thereof, an adjustable stud 26 is arranged whereby the compression of a coil spring 27 which extends into the core opening of the magnet and bears against the core 24, may be regulated. It will of course be readily seen that while the solenoid 25 is energized, the brake shoe 22 will be held out of engagement with the periphery of the wheel 23. As soon as the electric circuit is broken and the solenoid deenergized, the spring 27 forces the core24l downwardly and engages the leather face of the brake shoe with the periphery of the-wheel 23, thereby checking the rotation of the motor shaft and consequently of the spirally grooved shaft 7 10, to allow the door sections to move slowly to their complete open or closed positions.

The motor 20 is arranged in a suitable operating circuit to be later referred to, and in order to positively interrupt the supply of the electric current to the motor when the door has reached its open or closed position, I provid'e'a cutout device, illustrated in detail in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. This cut-out device is automatically actuated and to this end, I form upon the sleeve 14 on one of the door sections, a transversely projectmg arm 28, Through this arm, a longitudinal rod 29 is loosely disposed, said rod being mounted for sliding movement in any preferred manner. One end of this rod is pivotally connected by means of alink 291 to one end of a rocker arm 30 mounted upon a shaft 31. A lever 32 provided at one end with a substantially triangular shaped head 33 is loosely engaged upon the shaft 31. The other end of this lever carries a contact member 3% for engagement with the spaced contacts 35 and 35 which are arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the shaft 31, said latter contacts being included in the motor operating circuit. The member 34f may be in the form of a block of conducting material which is suitably insulated from the lever 32. Upon the rod 29, adjustable collars 36 are secured by means of suitable set screws 37. The rocker arm 30 is con nected to the head of the lever 32 by means of the coil spring 38. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the stationary contact members 35 upon one side of the lever 32 are con nected to the door opening circuit of the motor 20 while the contacts 35 upon the opposite side of said arm are connected to the door closing circuit of the motor. 'Thus it will be obvious that when the door section with which the rod 29 is associated is moved to its fully opened position, the arm 28 thereof will strike one of the collars 36 and shift the rod 20 longitudinally to rock the arm 30, and said arm through the medium of the interposed spring 38 quickly throws the lever 32 to the opposite side of the shaft 31, thereby disengaging the contact 34 carried by said lever from the pair of stationary contacts 35 and engaging the same with the stationary contacts 35, so as to close the motor circuit when the conductors switch, to be later described, is actuated through said contact members for the operation of the shaft 10 in a direction to effect the closing movement of the door Referring now to Fig. 3 of the drawings, which shows the pa ts in the positions they assume when the doors are open, I have diagrammatically illustrated the electric operating circuit of my improved apparatus, 39, 39 39 and 39, indicating four contacts which are arranged in opposite relation to a similar number of contacts 40, 4:0 40 and 40. A conductors switch including a lever 41 is fulcrumed as at 42, adjacent one of its ends. This lever has secured upon its other end in any preferred manner and projecting from opposite sides thereof, the curved or bowed circuit closing plates a3, 43*, e3 and 43, the ends of which are adapted to engage with the stationary contact members. A compression spring at is connected to said lever 11 and normally acts to hold one pair of the contact plates 43, 43 carried thereby, in engagement with the stationary contact blocks 40, 40*, 40? and 40, thereby closing the motor circuit, and the motor shaft is rotated in the direction to close the car doors. The current is obtained from a suitable source of supply in circuit with the binding posts 45. A conducting wire 16 is connected to the stationary contact member 39 and to one of the contacts 35 of the cutout device. The other contact 35 of the same pair is connected by means of a wire 47 with the contact block 4O while the other pair of contact members 35 of the cut out device are connected respectively by means of the wires 48 and 49 to the blocks 40 and 39. The switch lever 41 is adapted to be held with its circuit closing plates 43 and 43 in engagement with the series of contacts 39, 39 39 and 39 against the action of the spring 44, by means of a latch 50 fulcrumed intermediate of its ends as at 51. This latch member is provided with a shoulder 52 which is normally held by means of a compression coil spring 53 in engagement with an arm 54, projecting from one side of the lever 41 at its fulcrum 42. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, wherein the doors are in their open positions. They may be held in such positions as long as desired by the conductor, provid ing that the operating current for the car is not in use and the car remains stationary.

lVhen the car stops, the member 34 will be in engagement with the contacts 35. The conductor will move the lever 41 against the spring 44 until the arm 54 rests beneath the latch 52 of the lever 50. The current will now flow from the source of supply, binding post 45, wire 46, contacts 39, 43, 39 wire 55*, armature of motor 20, wire 55*, contacts 39 43 39, wire 49, plates 35 member 34, wire 48, contact 40, wire 55, field of motor, wire 64, solenoid 25, wire 53 to binding post 45 and the door will be automatically opened.

lVhen the doors reach their open posi- I tions, the arm 28 will strike the collar 36 to the right in Fig. 5, and throw the reversing switch arm 30 so that the member 34 will come in contact with the plates 35.

Before the car is started, the conductor will throw the lever 50 against its spring 53, thereby unlocking the lever 41, whose spring 44 will move it over toward the magnet 56, thereby bringing the contacts 43 and 43 into contact with the plates 40, 40 and 40, 40 respectively. The current will then flow from binding post 45, wire 46 and plate 39, plates 35 and member 34, wire 47, contacts 40, 43 and 40", wire 55*, armature of motor 20, wire 55, contacts 40 43 and 40, wire 55, field of motor, wire 64, solenoid 25, wire 63 to binding post. This will cause the motor to rot-ate in the opposite direction and close the door. It will be understood that during both movements of the door the solenoid 25 will be energized to remove the brake from the motor shaft, and when the circuit is broken the spring 27 will put the brake on to retard the last part of the movement of the door.

In the event that the conductor should neglect to close the'car doors before the car has started, I provide means, actuated by the first movement toward starting the car, for automatically releasing the latch lever 50 from engagement with the arm 54 of the switch lever 4i so as to permit the spring 44 to force the switch lever into position to close the circuit through the motor so that thesame will be operated to move the doors to their closed positions. To this end, I provide a magnet 56, the core 57 of which is connected to one end of the lever 50. The magnet 56 and controllers 6, 6 are arranged in series with the dynamo 60"" carried by the car. W hen the motormanleaves the controller 6, he shuts off the current to the car motor but leaves the switch in controller 6 on. The first movement of the switch, in controller 6, will close the circuit through the supply source 60, controller 6, magnet 56 and controller 6. It will thus be apparent that when the current is turned on by the motorman, the magnet 56 is energized to move the core 57 and thereby move the latch lever 50 against the compression of the spring 53 to disengage the same from the arm 54 of the lever 41. This lever is then immediately moved by means of the spring 44 to engage the pair of plates 43, 43 with the series of contacts 40, 40, 40 and 40, so that the current will flow from the binding post 45 through wire 46, plate 39, wire 46, contacts 35 and 34, wire 47, contacts 40, 43, 40*, wire 55*, armature of motor, wire 55, contacts 40, 43, 40, wire 55, field, wire 64, solenoid 25, wire 63, to binding post 45 so that the car doors are automatically moved to their closed positions. The solenoid 25 of the brake device has one of its terminals connected by means of a wire 63 with the current supply source and its other terminal connected by means of a wire 64, with the motor field so that when the circuit is closed through the motor, the armature 25 is energized to lift the brake shoe 22 from the wheel 23.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a very simple, efficient and positively opera-ting electrically controlled actuating means for thedoors of cars, whereby the manual labor incident to their operation is greatly minimized. As I have also provided means which will absolutely lock the car doors in their open or closed positions, all liability of the same moving and injuring persons boarding or leavingthe car is effectually eliminated. By means of my improved apparatus, the objectionable crowding of the door ways by patrons will also be overcome as the entrances thereof,

must be kept free, in order to permit the doors to close, such movement of the doors being in every instance automatically effected by the turning on of the current to start the car. As previously pointed out, the gen eral principle involved may be employed in connection witlranyother desired arrangement of the car doors, and may be used upon single as well as double doors. It will further be apparent that while I have shown and described the apparatus in detail, the form, proportions and arrangement 01 the several parts thereof is susceptible of con siderable modification without departing from the essential features embodied therein or sacrificing any of its advantages, within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a sliding door,

of electrically operated mechanism for actuating said door and a circuit therefor, a switch in said circuit, means for locking the switch in position to open the door, and an auxiliary circuit in which sait means are included, said circuit including means for making and breaking the auxiliary circuit.

2. The combination with sliding door, of motor for actuating said door, an electric circuit for the motor, a reversing switch in said circuit, an electroanechanical device to prevent operation of the switch and maintain the door in an open. position, and a circuit for said device said circuit including means whereby the switch is released to permit the reversal of the motor whereby the door is moved to its closed position.

3. The combination with a sliding door, a reversible operating means for opening and closing the door, of a switch for controlling the movements of the door operating means, means for locking the switch when the door is in its open position, said locking means including an electromechanical device, a circuit for said locking means, means in the circuit for operating the device whereby the switch may be moved to actuate the operating means to close the door.

4;. he combination with a door, a motor for actuating the door, an electric circuit for the motor, of a manually operated reversing switch in said circuit, a lock for the switch, said lock tendingto maintain the switch in position to maintain the door in open position, means for manually disengaging the lock to permit the reversal of the motor to close the door.

The combination with a door, a motor for actuating the door, an electric circuit for the motor, of a manually operated reversing'switch in said circuit, a lock for the switch, said lock tending to maintain the switch in position to maintain the door in open position, means for electrically disengaging the lock to per it the reversal of the motor. to close the door.

6. The combination with a sliding door,

or". motor operated means for moving the door to its open and closed positions, a cirout for said motor, a reversing swltch in the circuit, a cut out device located in said circuit, means for automatically actuating said device at the end of the opening and closing movements or the door, and means for locking the switch when the door is in its open position.

7. The combination with a sliding door, of motor operated means for moving said door to its open and closed positions, an electric circuit for the motor, a reversing s itch located in the circuit, means for locking the switch when the door is in its open position, and means operable from a distant point for unlocking the switch.

8. The combination with a sliding door, electrically actuated means for moving the door to its open closed positions, said means including a reversible motor and a circuit therefor, a manually operated switch located in the motor circuit to cause the operation of the motor in one direction to open the door, and electrically controlled means to insure the operation of said switch and the reversal of the motor to move the door to its closed position.

9. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means for moving the door to its open and closed positions, a circuit for said motor, a manually operated reversing switch located in the circuit, means normally holding said switch in position to close the circuit through themotor and operate the same to move the door to its closed position, and

an automatic cut out device arranged in the circuit to break the same when the door has been moved to its full open or closed position.

10. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means for moving the door to its open and closed positions, a circuit for said motor, a manually operated reversing switch located in the circuit, means normally holding said switch in position to close the circuit through the motor and operate the same to move the door to its closed position, and an automatic cut out device arranged in the circuit to break the same when the-door has been moved to its full open or closed position, and means cooperating with the switch to hold the same in position to close the circuit through the motor and operate the same to move the door to its open position.

11. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means for moving the door to its open and closed positions, a circuit for said motor, a manually operated reversing switch located in the circuit, means normally holding said switch in position to close the circuit through the motor and ope "ate the same to move the door to its closed position, an automatic cut out device arranged in the circuit to break the same when the door has been moved to its full open or closed position, means cooperating With ice the switch to hold the same in position to close the circuit through the motor and operate the same to move the door to its open position, and an electrical device in the circuit with a controller located-at a distance from the door to actuate said last named means and release the switch for movement to its reverse position whereby the motor is operated to automatically close the door when the controller is operated.

12. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means to move the door to its open or closed positions, a circuit for said motor, a reversing switch in the circuit including a lever, means normally acting to move said lever to close the circuit and operate the motor to move the door to its closed position, means for automatically cutting the motor out of the circuit at the end or the opening and closing movement or the door, and a latch device to cooperate with the switch lever and hold said lever against movement to its door closing position.

13. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, a circuit for the motor, a reversing switch located in the circuit, an automatic cut out device actuated at the end of the opening and closing movement of the door to cut the motor out of the circuit, said reversing switch including a spring pressed switch lever normally acting to close the circuit in the operation of the motor to move the door to its closed position, a latch device cooperatively associated with said lever to hold the same against the action of its spring and thereby retain the door in an open position, and means controlled from a distant point to actuate said latch device and release the switch lever.

1d. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, a circuit for said motor, a cut out device located in the circuit, means carried by the door to actuate said out out device at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to cut the motor out of the circuit, a revers ng switch in said circuit including a. spring pressed switch lever normally held in position to close the circuit through the motor to move the door to its closed position, a spring pressed latch lever cooperat ng wlth the switch lever to hold the same in its reversed position and retain the door open, and an electrical means wired in the circuit with controllers located at distant points to actuate said latch device and release the switch lever.

15. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means for moving the door to its o en and closed positions, an electric circuit for the motor, a reversing switch in said circuit, a cut out device located in the circuit, means carried by the door to automatically actuate said out out device at the end of the openini and closing movements of the door to cut the motor out of the circuit, and an electromechanical brake for the motor shaft arranged in the circuit of said motor.

16. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means for moving the door to its open and closed positions, a circuit for said motor, a cut out device located-in the circuit, means for automatically actuating said device at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to cut the 1no tor out of the circuit, an electro-mechanical brake arranged upon the motor shaft and including an electro magnet wired in the motor circuit, the brake being held in an ineffective position when the magnet is energized, and means for applying the brake when the motor is cut out of the circuit and said magnet is denergized.

17. The combination with a door, of motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, an electric circuit for the motor, a cut out device located in the circuit, means for actuating said device at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to cut the motor out of the circuit, a wheel on the motor shaft, an electro magnet wired in the motor circuit,

said magnet having a core provided with a brake shoe on one end to engage the periphery of said wheel, the energization of said magnet when the circuit is closed through the motor holding the brake shoe out of engagement-with the wheel, and a spring acting upon the. magnet core to force the brake. shoe into engagement with the wheel when the motor is cut out or the circuit and said magnet deenergized.

18. The combination with a sliding door, of motor actuated means to move said door to its open and closed positions, an electrical circuit for the motor, a cut out device located in said circuit including spaced contacts, a movable contact carrying member arranged between said spaced contacts, spaced movable abutments, means connecting saidabutments to the contact carrying member, means on the door to engage the respective abutments at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to reverse the position of the movable contact carrying memoer with relation to the stationary contacts, and a reversing switch 111 said circuit.

19. The combination with a sliding door, of motor actuated means to move the door to itsopen and closed positions, an electric circuit for the motor, a cut out device located in said circuit including spaced contacts, a movable contact carrying member arranged between. the spaced contacts, a rocker arm connected to said movable member, means carried by the door to actuate said rocker arm at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door and reverse the position of the movable contact carrying member with relation to the stationary contacts, and a reversing switch in said circuit.

20. The combination with a sliding door, of motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, an electric circuit for said motor, a cut out device located in said circuit, said device comprising spaced stationary contacts, a movable contact carrying member arranged between said spaced contacts, means actuated by means mounted on the door at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to effect the quick breaking of the circuit between the stationary and movable contacts and to reverse the position of said movable contact carrying member with relation to r the stationary contacts, and a reversing switch in the electric circuit.

21. The combination with a sliding door, of motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, an electric circuit for said motor, a cut out device located in said circuit, said device compris ing spaced stationary contacts, a movable contact carrying member arranged between said spaced contacts, a rocker arm, a yieldable connection between said rocker arm and the movable contact carrying member, means connected to said rocker arm actuated by means on the door to rock said arm and re verse the position of the movable contact member with relation to the stationary contacts, and a reversing switch in the electric circuit.

, 22. The combination with a sliding door, a motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, an electric circuit for said motor, a cut out device located in said circuit, said device comprising spaced stationary contacts, a movable contact carrying member arranged between said spaced contacts, a rocker arm, a yieldable connection between said rocker arm and the movable contact carrying members, a movable member pivotally connected to said rocker arm, spaced abutments on said member, means carried by the door to engage said abutments at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to actuate the rocker arm and reverse the position of the movable contact carrying member with relation to the stationary contacts, and an electric motor in the circuit.

23. The combination with a sliding door, of motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, an electric circuit for said. motor, a cut out device lothe rod to be engaged by means on said door at the end of the opening and closing move ments of the door to rock the arm and reverse the position of the movable contact carrying memberwith relation to the stationary contacts, and a reversing switch in the electric circuit.

24. The combination with a sliding door,

of motor actuated means to move the door to its open and closed positions, an electri circuit for said motor, a cut out device lo- 7 cated in said circuit, said device comprising spaced stationary contacts, a movable contact carrying member arranged between said spaced contacts, a rocker arm, a yieldable connection between said rocker arm and the movable contact carrying members, a longitudinally movable rod pivotally connected to the rocker arm, means mounted upon the'door slidably engaging said rod, spaced adjustable abutments mounted up the rod for engagement by the means on the door at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to move the rod and actuate the rocker arm to reverse the position of the movable contact carrying memher with relation to the stationary contacts, and a reversing switch in the electric circuit.

25. The combination with a sliding door, of motor actuated means for moving the door to its open and closed positions, an electric circuit for the motor, cut out device located in said circuit, said device comprising spaced contacts, a pivotally mounted contact carrying member arranged between the spaced contacts, a rocker arm, a coil springconnecting one end of said arm to the pivoted contact carrying member, movable means connected to the other end of said rocker arm, means mounted upon the door to move the last named means at the end of the opening and closing movements of the door to reverse the position of said pivoted contact carrying member with relation to the stationary contacts, and a reversing switch in said circuit.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HOOD PITTS.

Witnesses:

\V. B. ANTHONY, GEO. HUME.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

